The Gardiner Museum is open seven days a week! Explore our permanent collection, discover special exhibitions, and get hands-on with clay in our studios. We look forward to welcoming you.
Discover an exhibition of new work in our lobby by members of Inspirations Studio, a unique low-barrier ceramics program in Toronto for women and gender diverse people who have experienced marginalization.
Our Joy of Ceramics fundraiser returns on October 27, featuring a presentation by Sarah Milroy, Chief Curator at the McMichael Gallery, who will talk about a work by Shary Boyle, including its many meanings and her decision to donate it. This event sells out every year!
Every object in our permanent collection can be accessed through our eMuseum portal. Learn about individual collecting areas, like Italian Maiolica or Modern and Contemporary Ceramics, or search the full collection by keyword. You'll be amazed by what you discover!
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Focus Gallery
Creamware refers to a large family of earthenwares covered with cream-coloured glazes that were produced in England and continental Europe during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Creamware was a revolutionary product in its time because it possessed many of the same practical and aesthetic qualities as porcelain, but could be produced for a fraction of the cost. For this reason, it quickly emerged as the ceramic tableware of choice for middle class consumers.
Competition from creamware producers put great pressure on many English and European porcelain factories, helping to force some out of business and others to modify their products. For such a seemingly simple ceramic, creamware had a profound social and economic impact that resonated even in modern times.
This exhibition showcases a collection of creamwares that were donated to the Gardiner Museum in 2008 by long-time members Jean and Ken Laundy. It is the first time that many of the objects have been publicly displayed.